Clandestine
by gryffindormischief
Summary: Ginny can't sleep the night before an important day, and there's only one option.


A/N: another prompt! I really wanted to post something over the weekend and I did it! woo! I hope this is enjoyable & I'm so glad everyone enjoyed Coquettish!

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The old fashioned clock on her nightstand ticked away the seconds, moonlight carding through the split in the cheery yellow curtains. At first, she'd intended to dutifully follow her mother's wishes, whiling away the hours in her childhood home the night before her wedding since she 'had an entire lifetime with him, dear' and only one more evening a Weasley.

But her best intentions were out the proverbial window after spending a sleepless hour staring at the wall, window, clock, and Hermione's bushy brown hair peeking over the top of her covers.

Biting her lip, Ginny listened for the steady breathing that confirmed her friend was in a deep slumber before tiptoeing toward her discarded clothes from the day. She peered nervously over her shoulder at Hermione's sleeping form as she zipped her soft, worn jeans before slipping on the rest of her clothes and snatching her trainers from the clean swept floor.

With a grin, she eked the window open after shooting a quick silencing charm to hide the squeak, and slipped out onto the waiting branches of her favorite hawthorn tree, picking her way to the ground over a practiced path from years of sneaking to fly.

Tonight, she'd sneak and take to the skies once again. She pulled her fingers back into her light jumper and trotted quickly toward the broom shed, flicking her wand toward the lock, mind forming the intent of _alohamora_ , and found her practice broom with steady fingers.

Soon, Ginny rose high among the clouds, hair mussed first by tossing and turning and now blown back like a banner against the inky black night. Unable to contain herself, she let out a gleeful giggle, tilting her head back, raising her arms skyward, held in place simply by the clench of her legs as she soared above the rolling countryside.

After flying a few loops, executing a perfect Wronski feint, and skimming her fingers along the mirrored surface of the dark pond on the border of the Burrow's property, Ginny rises once more to the open air, eyes staring off unseeingly as she bites her lip in thought, _he might still be up_ …

Hemming and hawing for a few moments, Ginny murmured, " _Bugger it_ ," and landed quietly on the balls of her feet, just outside the apparition wards erected by her father and Bill, reinforced for the wedding tomorrow in particular.

Not giving herself time to second guess, the red head eyed her twinkling engagement ring and disappeared with a nearly imperceptible 'pop.'

Slowly, with practiced stealth, Ginny picked her way across the entryway, avoiding creaky floorboards that would wake Ron. Kreacher would be sleeping in his little nest in the kitchen, his hearing less than stellar in his old age, but Ginny shot a nervous glance in that general direction nonetheless.

For a beat, she considered removing her trainers, before deciding against it, given her plans for the evening. After padding past Ron's closed door, breath held nervously, Ginny arrived in front of her fiancé's room, door cracked just so, cool moonlight spilling into the otherwise darkened hallway. Eyeing Ron's room once more, she slipped inside.

Wand still gripped in his hand, Harry lay on his back, a crinkled copy of _Quidditch Today_ across his chest, glasses smudged and crooked as he slept. Smiling, Ginny rounded the foot of the bed, peering more closely in the dark at the cover before realizing it was _her_ issue. Once she'd started to show real promise as a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, the magazine had approached her to do a cover article, and a full photo spread. _Unofficially_ , Gwenog had advised her to take the offer as it was a way to get her name recognized among the fans, which was always a relevant factor in scouting for the World Cup team.

 _And apparently the scouts weren't the only ones who took notice_. Ginny smirked, hesitating a moment as she took in his sleeping form, but recalling her tossing and turning, she bit her lip and ran a soothing hand over his sleep flushed cheek.

Subconsciously, he shifted toward her hand, his breath flowing across her wrist, her pulse thrumming in answer as his parted lips unknowingly pressing against her palm. Slowly, she ran her thumb over his cheekbone and slipped her fingers away, finally deciding against her original plan and pulling the magazine and his wand from his loose grasp.

Ginny turned to place them on the cluttered nightstand, before she remembered his glasses. Once she moved to slide them from the bridge of his nose, she noticed she was no longer the only conscious person in the room, "Gin?"

Blushing, Ginny knelt down, pushing her forearms against the mattress next to his torso, "I'm sorry. I shouldn'tve-"

"No, I'm glad," Harry cut in, sitting up and drawing her into his arms, "I'd only just dozed off."

Nuzzling into his neck, Ginny hummed contentedly, "I couldn't sleep. So I snuck out."

"I noticed," Harry chuckled, "Do you want to try sleeping here or?"

She pulled back, shaking her head, eyes mischievous, "Nope. I want to go _flying_."

Mirroring her grin, Harry sat up straighter, "Which _kind_ of flying?"

Not ten minutes later, Harry was fully dressed, wand carefully slotted into his holster as he snuck up to the rooftop garden, his lovely companion close behind. Activating the various muggle repelling charms as well as the invisibility charm, he swung a leg over the seat and settled down, waiting for Ginny to do the same.

Once her arms wrapped around his taught waist securely, Harry nudged the kickstand back with a boot covered foot, revving the engine and wincing only slightly at the sound, quickly forgetting his hesitance at Ginny's breathless laughter, and excited squeeze of his ribs.

Rolling back slightly to ensure they had enough take off space, Harry revved the engine again and they shot off into the night. Ginny nestled her chin into his shoulder familiarly, "Love you."

Carefully releasing one hand from steering, Harry squeezed Ginny's fingers and pressed a kiss to her hairline affectionately as they soared over the winking lights of London.

Nestling against his soft jumper, Ginny allowed her eyes to drift closed as the motorbike rumbled beneath her soothingly, wind whipping through her unbound hair. In what seemed a few moments, but must have been much longer given her cursory examination of their surroundings, which seemed chillier much more rural. It was reminiscent of Ottery St. Catchpole, but more old fashioned in a way, and a thrill of magic seemed to thrum through the crisp air.

After she began shifting around, a chuckle rumbled from Harry's chest, "Awake now sleeping beauty?"

Ginny slid a hand down and delivered a sharp pinch to his side, winning an affronted gasp in response as they descended further toward the small village, just along the wooded outskirts.

Harry secured the bike with the necessary enchantments and pulled Ginny close as he leaned against the dark leather seat, "I er- kinda came here by accident."

"And where is 'here' exactly?" Ginny queried, placing a chaste kiss on his wind chapped lips, fingers twining in the short hairs at the base of his neck, trimmed by an unstoppable Molly Weasley the previous afternoon.

"Godric's Hollow."

She could feel his hesitance in his stance, his emerald eyes downcast toward the waving wild grasses arcing around their ankles, "D'you want to show me around then?"

After plodding across the open field, they reached the cobbled streets, lit by sparse yellowy street lamps, surrounded by cottages and cozy shops long closed for the night. Ginny scooted closer, wrapping her arm around his lower back, his own coming to hold her shoulders as they meandered down the abandoned path.

Eventually, they reached the main square, centered around the tall monolith that shimmered and shifted into the statute Ginny knew depicted the young family torn apart so many years ago. Both spared a glance toward the trio of stone faces, Ginny giving his waist a comforting squeeze as they walked further along the main street.

A church spire rose above the dark tiled roves, it's silent bell glinting under the fully risen moon's glow as the couple passed.

Harry took a deep breath, letting his arm slide down, hand grasping his fiancé's as he led her down the small grassy path toward a kissing gate wrapped in vines smelling of heady lavender. A small squeak of disused hinges the only sound apart from their quiet breaths and the odd hoot of an owl, magic or not she couldn't tell.

The grass underfoot was somewhat trampled with the footsteps of mourners that had come before, waxy leaves littered the path as Ginny came even with Harry, their shoulders brushing as he followed what must be a familiar trail.

He broke off onto one of the many rows of stone markers, all in various states of disrepair, some sharp and new, stark against the darkness. Once they stood before the wide carefully inscribed stone, milky white flecks sparking under the moon's glow, Ginny tucked herself into Harry's side, head pillowed against his chest. They stood wordlessly for a time, wind rustling the swaying trees as Harry pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, inhaling her sweet flowery scent, "This is my last night as the only Potter."

Ginny hummed softly in agreement, "Want to take it back?"

Harry smirked against her hair, "Not a chance."

Pausing, he conjured a vibrant bouquet of fresh blooms, nestling it gently against the headstone, his slim fingers lingering almost imperceptibly against the cool stone. Clearing his throat, Harry stood, offering Ginny a watery smile.

The distance between them disappeared quickly as Ginny took a definitive step forward, pulling his head to rest in the crook of her neck as she ran her fingers over his shoulders as he took a deep shuddering breath. A few moments passed before Harry pulled away, running a careless hand under his nose, glasses only slightly fogged as he smiled once again, not full powered, but more true than before.

Faster this time, they wandered back to the empty field where Harry had parked his motorbike, and Ginny broke the tender silence, "It's beautiful here."

Nodding, Harry gazed upward before tugging Ginny to the ground beside him, letting her pillow her head on his chest, "Can we just stay here for a bit?"

Forgoing a verbal answer, Ginny snuggled closer, draping one leg over his, twinkling stars sparkling in the inky black sky.

Harry woke to a lumpy mattress and the sound of Ron's indignant voice thumping on his eardrums. Reaching up to rub his eyes, he found he'd forgotten to remove his glasses, and that he'd managed to fall asleep _with_ Ginny and far from his bed…the lumpy mattress being instead a lumpy field in the outskirts of Godric's Hollow.

Blinking blearily, he shook Ginny's shoulder as he tried to make sense of Ron's lingering terrier patronus, although it mostly seemed angry gibberish meant for adult ears only until the tail end of the sentence caught his attention, "and you're both missing for your _own_ _bloody wedding_."

Both sat up with a jolt at that, Harry reaching for his pocket watch, only to discover he'd left it behind in their haste the previous evening, _or earlier this morning I suppose_ …

Ginny squinted at the rising sun, then rolled her eyes in frustration, "We're hardly late for the wedding. It can't be past quarter of seven."

Harry shrugged, never one for telling time by the skies, and stood, brushing the grass from his back as Ginny mimicked his actions, "Happy wedding day."

Smiling, he murmured the same back, his smile meeting hers in what began as a playful kiss and evolved into something warm and sensuous, a promise for later. Forced apart by a need for air and the nagging knowledge that a whole clan of Weasleys – and one very formidable Granger – were currently attempting to track them down, the couple took to the skies once again.


End file.
